One of my favorite Halloween traditions is to create a new Tales Around the Jack O’Lantern story for the O’Reilly family. All of the O’Reillys sit together every Halloween night and share real ghost stories they’ve experienced throughout the year. This year, as I was gathering stories, I took the time to reread last year’s…
Mackinaw Island
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a small writer’s conference in Michigan. We were only about an hour’s drive from the ferry for Mackinaw Island, so we decided to take the time to visit it. For those who don’t know much about Mackinac Island (except, maybe for the ice cream) it’s an island…
The Phantom of the Third Ward
Kathi Kresol might sound like a familiar name to many of you– she was the superstar organizer of the Paranormal Conference in Delayed Departures (Book 18). Actually, I first met the real-life Kathi at the Illinois Paranormal Conference last year in Rockford. She is amazing (even more amazing than the fictional Kathi) and has made…
Cognitive Distortions – It’s A Thing!
Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to participate in some training. We were training adult leaders who worked with young women in our church on mental health concerns because they are relevant today. One of the areas we spoke about was Cognitive Distortions. Sounds pretty fancy, right? But actually, cognitive distortions are simply ways that…
Glanmire House
Ambassador Kevin Vickers is not a man who is frightened easily. With a nearly 30-year career with the Canadian Mounties and an appointment to Sergeant-at-Arms in Canada’s House of Commons, he had demonstrated his bravery time and time again. As a matter of fact, in 2014, Mr. Vickers and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer…
Another Legend of the White Lady
Last week I wrote the sad story about the miner’s wife who wandered around in her nightgown after her death, either trying to find her husband and son who had died in a mining accident or seeking revenge against those who did not help her. Imagine my surprise when I received an email early this…
White Lady
We stopped in Craig, Colorado on Wednesday night. It was a beautiful drive from Provo, Utah. We drove up through Heber Canyon and then across Hwy 40 that passed through beautiful mountains and desert vistas. Vernal, Utah, also known as “Dinosaurland,” is home to the largest quarry of prehistoric Jurassic dinosaur bones. Dinosaur National Monument…
Moose Creek Café
I’m really enjoying traveling and talking to people about their ghostly experiences. Most of the successful conversations have been with waitresses at various establishments along the way. Yesterday, we stopped in Walden, Colorado, a town about halfway between Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Laramie, Wyoming. The town is a picture perfect Western town with log cabins,…
Off Your Rocker
We’re traveling this week and next week, bringing Andrew to the MTC (Mission Training Center) in Provo and dropping Sarah and Ian off in Rexburg. On the way, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant and saw all the rocking chairs lined up in front of the building. And, of course, it reminded me of…
Winneshiek Theater
Winneshiek Theater is the oldest continuous running amateur theater in the United States. With that claim to fame – small wonder that it should have its own ghost. The ghost of Winneshiek has been heard by many – but never seen. Often actors standing backstage can hear the familiar footsteps upstairs in the Green Room,…